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Date: 6/15/2022
ENFIELD/SPRINGFIELD – Springfield resident Julian Penna works at the LongHorn Steakhouse in Enfield, CT. Recently, Penna competed in LongHorn’s fifth annual steak master series, a national competition that lets grill masters from across the country put their skills to the test.
Penna was one of seven finalists out of thousands of participants who competed for $15,000 After a hard competition, he was named the regional winner for the area.
According to Penna, he has had a passion for cooking since he was young. He didn’t begin grilling until he started working at LongHorn in 2014.
To qualify for this competition, he first competed against fellow cooks in his restaurant. Once he won in his restaurant, he went on to compete against winners of other local restaurants.
Penna then went to the regional competition, where he placed second.
“I am very passionate about my job and made a great impression on the corporate judges in this round. I was chosen as the Wild Card Winner, in an emotional surprise celebration in my restaurant, soon after losing my brother in a motorcycle accident,” said Penna.
According to Penna, the competition was intense but also very fun.
“I was set up with specific menu items to cook, all requested at different temperatures, with their different seasonings. Cooking them correctly to the company standard advances you in the rounds. The cooking gets more intense as well as the verbal questions in between cooking, as well as a formal written test on cooking standards,” said Penna.
Making it to the finals was very emotional for Penna.
“I lost my grandmother on April 6, and my birthday was April 16. It was a hard few months for me personally. My bosses in Enfield, and my Director of Operations asked me to come in to do a “catering order” on my birthday. They surprised me and my family with the news I won the wildcard, gave me my trophy, and fed me and my family with a celebratory meal,” said Penna.
Being crowned the regional winner is both a “blessing and an honor” for Penna.
“I get bragging rights in my region, but so does my restaurant who has supported me. We have never had someone make it this far in the competition,” he said.
With the competition now over, Penna said he will continue to work for LongHorn and hopes to be promoted to a part of the management team in the future. He doesn’t rule out entering the competition again next year.
His advice for anyone hoping to be in his shoes one day is simple: work hard.
“To be in my shoes, you would need to know the formula to cooking legendary steaks. If you want to make it to the big stage, you need to study the specifications and work hard for what you want,” said Penna.